In a little corner of downtown Alameda, a husband-and-wife team is quietly serving some of the most authentic Xi’an street food in the Bay Area—the kind that makes foodie pilgrims travel across bridges and locals guard the secret fiercely. 🍜
Larry and Tammy Lu opened this spot in 2017 after relocating from San Francisco, swapping Larry’s importing business for something they call “relaxing”—even though they make nearly everything by hand, fold dumplings to order, and run the entire operation themselves.
The magic here is Xi’an cuisine, a style rarely seen in the East Bay, famous for its hand-pulled noodles, cumin-dusted lamb, and numbing Sichuan spices that Larry grew up eating thanks to his mother from Sichuan province.
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How Wild Ginger won Alameda hearts
Wild Ginger won over Alameda by doing what so few restaurants dare: keeping the menu short and ridiculously authentic.
Larry made a conscious choice to skip the pages of Americanized Chinese dishes that clutter most menus and instead focus on just a handful of Xi’an street food specialties—noodles, dumplings, and rou jia mo—all made the way they’d taste in the bustling streets of China’s ancient capital.
That bold decision paid off because locals craved something real, and Wild Ginger delivered it with every steaming bowl. 🔥
The couple’s dedication to craft became immediately obvious: Larry spends five hours making liang pi (cold-skin noodles) from scratch, a dish nearly impossible to find anywhere else in the area, and Tammy hustles as the sole server, creating a personal connection with every guest.
Diners quickly realized this wasn’t just another noodle shop—it was a family kitchen where recipes passed down through generations come alive in a tiny dining room.
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The food became the real ambassador.
Early visitors tasted the thick, chewy hand-pulled noodles bathed in chili oil, the perfectly spiced cumin lamb, and those tender pork dumplings floating in tangy-spicy broth, and they couldn’t stop talking about it.
Word spread through food forums, Instagram posts, and enthusiastic recommendations from customers who insisted this was the closest thing to Xi’an Famous Foods they’d found outside New York City. 🌶️
Wild Ginger also capitalized on incredible value—nothing on the menu tops nine dollars, making it shockingly affordable for the quality and portion sizes.
People discovered they could get a filling, flavorful meal for less than ten bucks, which turned casual visits into weekly rituals.
The restaurant’s location on Park Street in downtown Alameda didn’t hurt either, drawing both neighborhood regulars and curious eaters from across the Bay Area willing to make the trip.
Perhaps the most winning touch is Larry himself, often spotted in his Chinese-style paper chef hat, hand-folding dumplings and firing noodle orders with genuine joy.
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Customers mention his warmth and the love he spreads through family recipes, creating an atmosphere where every bowl feels like a gift rather than just a transaction.
This personal connection, combined with food that honors tradition without compromise, is exactly how Wild Ginger carved out a devoted following in a competitive food scene. ✨
Food Highlights
🍜 Liang Pi (Cold-Skin Noodles): This is the dish Larry spends five hours preparing, creating satisfyingly chewy ribbons from starchy dough water that’s steamed and sliced, then tossed with soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic, chili oil, julienned cucumbers, bean sprouts, and gluten cubes—it’s cool, refreshing, and unlike anything else you’ll find in the area, making it a must-try for adventurous eaters and vegans alike.
🥟 Pork Dumplings in Soup: The most popular item on the menu, these handmade dumplings float in a spicy-sour broth that locals describe as having incredible flavor, with tender pork filling that’s perfectly seasoned and dumpling wrappers folded fresh to order by Larry himself.
🍔 Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger (Rou Jia Mo): A beloved Xi’an street food, this “Chinese burger” features slowly stewed, spiced lamb or pork stuffed into a soft English muffin that soaks up the meat’s juices—Larry uses English muffins because traditional flatbread requires too much labor, and honestly, it works beautifully.
🍜 Pork Zha Jiang Noodle: Springy fresh noodles topped with fermented soybean paste and ground pork create a deeply savory, comforting bowl that’s an absolute steal at under nine dollars—simple, satisfying, and packed with umami flavor.
🍲 Malatang: Translating to “numb spicy heated,” this Sichuan street food lets you choose ingredients like wood ear mushrooms, beef balls, fish tofu, rice cakes, and udon noodles that Larry cooks together in a spicy broth—it’s like a personal hot pot where price is calculated based on your selections, and the result is bouncy textures and slow-burning heat.
Atmosphere
The dining room is small and casual, with both indoor and outdoor seating that gives off cozy neighborhood vibes rather than fancy restaurant polish.
You’ll hear great music playing in the background while watching Larry work his magic in the open kitchen, folding dumplings and pulling noodles with the ease of someone who’s done it a thousand times. 🎵
The space feels warm and welcoming, exactly what you’d expect from a mom-and-pop spot where the owners genuinely enjoy their customers and the food they’re serving.
Bottom Line
Visit for the rare Xi’an cuisine you can’t find anywhere else in the East Bay, the hand-folded dumplings and thick hand-pulled noodles, that legendary five-hour liang pi, the husband-and-wife hospitality, and shockingly affordable prices that keep every dish under nine dollars. 💰
Address: 1239 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501
📞 (510) 263-8128
🕔 Tue–Sun 11:00 AM–2:30 PM, 4:30 PM–8:30 PM (Closed Mon)